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Pendulum, Lab

The document presents experimental data on pendulum lengths and their corresponding measured times for cycles, periods, and calculated acceleration due to gravity. It includes analysis questions discussing the effects of angle, mass, length, and elevation on the pendulum's period. The findings indicate that small angles and mass have minimal impact on the period, while length and elevation can cause slight increases in period due to changes in gravitational force.

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3 views2 pages

Pendulum, Lab

The document presents experimental data on pendulum lengths and their corresponding measured times for cycles, periods, and calculated acceleration due to gravity. It includes analysis questions discussing the effects of angle, mass, length, and elevation on the pendulum's period. The findings indicate that small angles and mass have minimal impact on the period, while length and elevation can cause slight increases in period due to changes in gravitational force.

Uploaded by

apollo
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

PART A

Pendulum Length 2 ft 4 ft 6 ft
Measured time for 10 cycles 14.9 21.71 26.65

Period (time for 1 cycle) based upon 1.49 2.17 2.67


the measured time for 10 cycles
Calculated period for a pendulum of 1.56 2.21 2.71
this length using the equation:

Acceleration due to gravity using the 35.56 33.53 33.23

pendulum
Listed with units of ft/sec2
(Use the measured period, not the
period calculated based upon length.)
Percent difference between your 10.4% 4.1 3.2
calculated acceleration due to gravity
and 32.2 ft/sec2
Acceptable Margin of Error 10% 5% 5%
PART B

The length of a pendulum with a period of two seconds is 3.26.

ANALYSIS QUESTIONS
1) As long as the angle between the string holding the pendulum bob
and the vertical is relatively small, the actual amount that the
pendulum is swinging back and forth has very little effect on the
period. Explain why?
For small angles, sin(θ)≈θ is very close to simple harmonic
motion. For larger angles, however, sin(θ) and θ begin to diverge,
and the motion no longer follows the simple harmonic pattern
exactly. In this case, the period starts to increase slightly as the
amplitude increases. so as long as the angle is small the period
should remain the same.

2) Why should you expect the mass of the pendulum bob to have little
effect on the period of the pendulum?
gravitational force and inertia cancel each other out, leading to a
situation where the mass has no net effect on the pendulum's
motion. This means that, whether the bob is heavy or light, the
pendulum's period remains the same.

3) Why should you expect the period of the pendulum to increase with
the length of the pendulum?
the larger pendulum string will increase the arc which interns increase
how long it takes to complete one cycle. Even though gravity is
conserved the restoring force has a weaker effect for longer pendulums
because the angle between the pendulum string and the vertical is
smaller over much of its swing.
4) Why should you expect the period of the pendulum to (slightly)
increase with an increase in elevation above sea level?
the period of the pendulum should slightly increase with an increase in
elevation because the gravitational pull weakens as the pendulum
moves farther from the Earth's center, causing the pendulum to swing

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